On Saturday 18th May, we invited local businesses and residents along to our Community Business Fair at Lister Steps. The aim of the day was to celebrate local enterprise and raise awareness of the great things happening in our area so we were really pleased to welcome a broad range of organisations within our community, including Liverpool Model Boat Club, The Male Room Barbers on Green Lane, handmade signs by Letters By Be, children’s author Paul McDermott, and The Ale House community pub on Prescot Road.

We also had stands from The Vibe, who prove social & recreational activities for adults and young people with additional needs, and Alt Valley Trust who are providing new adult learning opportunities in Old Swan, as well as volunteers who have been working on our memory project and historical research project.

It was also great to see Dr Oriel Prizeman again – she has been working on an international research project into how Carnegie libraries are being used across the UK and USA and shared some of her fascinating findings with visitors.  

We welcomed 80 people along on the day and there was lots for everyone to get involved with our plant sale (thanks to Turners Fruit & Veg on Green Lane), community art wall, healthy raffle and sweets & wine – or ‘not so healthy’! – raffle. It was also fantastic opportunity for networking with businesses, organisations & residents who are interested in working together within the community to make our area better for everyone to live and work.

Thank you to all our volunteers and the staff from Lister Steps who came along to help, as well as everyone who ran a stand to make the day such a success. We hope to be able to run similar events again in the future to continue to make positive links in our local area – maybe next time from inside The Old Library!

If you couldn’t make it, check out the video below to see what you missed:

We had loads of entries this month for the theme of 'special buildings' - not surprising given the amazing architecture in & around our city - but we were especially pleased to receive lots of photographs of buildings local to us in L13. Our photography competition is all about seeing the interest and the beauty in the everyday so we loved the way people had been inspired by the buildings around them. Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter, you can check out some of their amazing photos below!

Once again, it was really hard to choose a winner but this month, Eddie McCormack took the prize with his powerful shot of St Cecilia's Church on Green Lane, just down the road from The Old Library. Eddie's shot will feature in our 2020 calendar and be in with the chance of winning the overall prize of a camera at the end of the year.

Our theme for May is 'the street where I live'. Anyone can enter so get creative and show us photos that capture what's special about your neighbourhood. As always, we're particularly keen for photographs from our local community so get snapping! Send your entries to info@old-library.co.uk by 25th May for the chance to be our next winner!